Norwegian climate initiative

Real-Time Evaluation of Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative

The initiative has been subject of a real-time evaluation since 2010. This resulted in several evaluations linked below. The initiative continues to be evaluated through a second phase of real-time evaluation which began in 2015.

How the Climate and Forest Initiative is organised

The Norwegian support goes to a complex portfolio consisting of both bilateral agreements with large forest countries, large multinational organizations and civil society.

Norad manages significant parts of the NICFI funds under the climate and forest initiative on behalf of the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

Norad conducts guidance and quality assurance for the ministry and for embassies involved in the initiative. Norad also has a special responsibility for monitoring the developmental effects of the investment.

Norad is responsible for the initiative's grant scheme for civil society.

The farmer Paulo Evaristo belongs to one of hundreds of families in the state of Pará in the Amazon who are trained in the use of better techniques and methods to farm. It has changed the lives of Paulo and his family.

10 years of Norway's Climate and Forest Initiative

2017 marks that ten years since Norway launched Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced at the UNFCCC Climate Change Summit COP13 that Norway would allocate up to 3 billion NOK annually to reduce deforestation.

While the initiative was originally thought to last until 2020, the Norwegian government has since promised to extend it through 2030. Norway has so far supported efforts to reduce deforestation in more than 70 countries.

One of the main results was the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, in which world leaders agreed on an ambitious new climate change agreement. Partly due to activities financed through NICFI since 2007, efforts to reduce deforestation was specifically mentioned in the Paris Agreement.

Reducing deforestation will also be an important instrument to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement. After ten years of concerted efforts, Norway now aims to focus on countries with large tropical forests and countries proving results. There have been several evaluations of NICFI. Results have been documented and more will be published during 2017.